Chicken Veterinarian-Not Urgent

Katekozak

In the Brooder
Jun 5, 2019
11
19
34
Hi All!
I have two cats that I routinely take to the vet for check-ups, meds, and immunizations. I have other pets such as several full fish tanks and a husband (kidding!) that require care at times. However I am new to raising chickens. I have six hens that are approx. 4 months old (2 rhode island reds, 2 leghorns, and 2 amberlinks). They are all in fantastic health and show signs of being ready to lay eggs. I would like to have my hens checked out and essentially established with a medical provider should something happen.

I have many questions regarding who to call for this. Is there a avian specialist I should have on board? Is there some type of farm veterinarian that would come to my house if I needed medical assistance? I'm a medical provider for people (PA) but animals, especially birds, are incredibly different and I'm happy to call an expert.

Please leave your suggestions regarding who should be called to handle this and how to find them. Any other information you have regarding health would be greatly appreciated. Do hens get check-ups? I've read there are really no vaccinations required after birth but is this true? I just need to be pointed in the correct direction. Thanks in advance!
Kate
 
Personally, I have never taken my birds to the vet. But as it seems these birds are part of your family, I can totally see why you would want to establish a relationship with an avian vet. Personally, in my area, there is a large animal vet that could check my chickens out and there is also a small animal vet in my area that is knowledgeable with chickens. It just comes down to making some calls to the vets in your area. Personally, I would not take my chickens for a "wellness" visit and only bring them in when I notice a problem arising. This website is also a great place to get care advice, whereas a vet can be a very costly option. And about vaccines- your birds do not need them. I have some that have gotten them and some that haven't and I have noticed no difference. Hopefully, this has helped some!
 
You could ask the vet that you take your cats to, if he/she would see a chicken if one were sick. Asking ahead of time, at least you would know the bird could be seen if necessary.
Unfortunately many people (vets, too?) see chickens as not a valuable enough critter to spend much time or money on. They are seen as disposable.
And since chickens are usually pretty hardy, few ever go to the doctor.
This forum is really valuable as a source of information and expertise on chicken health, should you ever need to ask a question. As long as you do your part to keep your birds healthy and safe, I think you have all the bases covered.
 
It just depends on what is available where you are. For certain things an avian specialist is going to be best, those are hard to find in many places, and usually $$$. A vet that sees exotics may see a chicken, many will not. Some livestock vets will treat a chicken. Best thing is to call around and ask questions. The longer you have chickens the more you will know what to ask. General routine care is usually not necessary, it's really going to be wanted if something goes wrong. Your regular vet may be willing to do some testing and x-rays if needed, some are willing to try even if they don't know much about birds. Some will basically roll their eyes. I do the very best I can, and don't have a vet within a reasonable distance that will see a bird, so not an option for me.
 

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